Cummings Elementary One of Only Five Schools Selected for State’s New “SITES” Initiative for Minority Learners

Cummings Elementary has been selected as one of only five elementary schools in Tennessee to participate in the state’s new learning initiative, Strengthening Instruction in Tennessee Elementary Schools (SITES-M).

SITES was developed at the request of the Legislative Black Caucus and is also a result of collaboration between Governor Phil Bredesen, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Washington D.C. and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Pairing elementary schools with Tennessee’s HBCUs, the state-wide project will provide special training for teachers to help minority elementary students improve their performance in math and close the achievement gap.

Cummings Elementary and LeMoyne Owen College will be partnering to help teachers deepen their math knowledge, allowing for more intensive classroom instruction as the project progresses. The program will target grades K-2 and involve six teachers at Cummings Elementary School.

Set for implementation next school year, the five-year SITES project has been awarded $2 million for th e first year, according to ETS. ETS will track the success of the SITES program each year by testing students before and after their teachers participate in the institutes and will measure students' proficiency on specified tests. Data gleaned from the project could be used to develop educational models to help improve math proficiency across the nation.

Cummings Elementary Receives Generous Gift from an Alumnus

On December 19, Cummings Elementary School had plenty to celebrate after receiving an enormous gift. Julius Lewis, CEO of Heritage Entertainment, and a Cummings alumnus, gave $50,000 to the school. The gift will be given to the school in increments over the next five years. The money will go toward funding the Pat Project. Upon satisfactory completion of the project, participating students will be named, "Patricia Hill Scholars," in memory of and as a tribute to Julius' mother, Patricia Hill. The components of the project include behavior modification, values clarification, etiquette/manners, technology/computers, music, and educational excursions. Mr. Lewis, whose family has lived in the LeMoyne community for five generations, said it was his way of giving back to the neighborhood.

Pictured from left to right: Rev. Reginald Porter, Pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church, the school's adopter; Mrs. Virginia McNeil, Area 2 Academic Superintendent; Julius Lewis, CEO of Heritage Entertainment Group; Lisa M. Frieson, Cummings Elementary School Principal, and Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie Herenton, at the $50, 000 check presentation.